Many people believe that managing the office of an executive is primarily focussed around the ‘doing’ aspects of the role; the tasks related elements where the more you do, and the less the executive does, the more you free up their time.

To an extent this is true, and it is certainly true that where EAs are proactive rather than reactive, where they are managing rather than directed, the Executive can spend more time in peak flow and not constantly have to worry about directing work to others or focusing on the minutia of the things that happen in their office. Essentially, more time focussed on higher thought or more strategic activities.

But there are other elements to the role we have noticed that the truly exceptional EAs achieve, and these are the things that really help define the partnership between an EA and executive when it is at its best.

To be truly proactive means fully knowing and understanding the relative priorities of an executive at any time, and to do this you have to have the breadth and depth of knowledge of your business specifically, and your industry more generally, as well as having the level of general business acumen needed to know the strategic steps that are needed at certain times.

These are the traits and abilities we help train to ensure EAs become really competent in their role.

But to be truly amazing needs a step beyond even this. It needs the EA to be able to develop advanced interpersonal skills, and take on the role of managing the executive’s, energy, focus, mind-set and priorities.

It’s tough for anyone at the top, as it is indeed for those working alongside those at the top. But this is where the nature of a great working EA and Executive partnership enables the EA to become protector and guardian whilst also being a facilitator, a corporate thermometer, the glue in the team, an advocate for executive office ideas and policies, a priorities manager and a brand builder and champion. Networked extensively internally and externally, these EAs are the go to people who can make the seemingly innocuous things everyone else misses happen so that the bigger things can be achieved.

Being a task oriented assistant is easy, but being a truly great EA who works in tandem with an executive and manages their office seamlessly so amazing results occur, well that takes more than just skills and knowledge, it takes a person with inordinate people skills and a savvy business mind.

It is understanding these nuances that has driven our passion for the past 11 years and still fuels us to develop tools, guides and education programs that help assistants who want to become great achieve their goals.

If you want our help in getting there, then reach out and join us at one of our events. Our conferences are a great way to experience the vision and ideas encompassed in our unique models so EAs can help identify the nuances of the role, the intangible elements that truly make a difference, but it is our more focussed education programs that ultimately make the difference.

And if you want to see what it would look like in your organisation if your executive teams and EAs were all aligned with a single purpose and vision in regards to how EAs can best operate then we would relish the opportunity to discuss our visions, our approach and our unique programs with the relevant people in your organisation.


- Jonathan McIlroy, Joint Managing Director, Executive Assistant Network